


a danger in the daylight {love me in the moonlight}

by orphan_account



Series: amaranthine [2]
Category: Sanders Sides (Web Series)
Genre: Anxiety | Virgil Sanders is a Little Shit, Anxiety | Virgil Sanders is a Sweetheart, Attempted Kidnapping, Enemies to Friends, Fae Dark Creativity | Remus "The Duke" Sanders, Genderfluid Anxiety | Virgil Sanders, Implied Unsympathetic Patton, Other, Sassy Anxiety | Virgil Sanders
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-26
Updated: 2020-11-03
Packaged: 2021-03-09 02:33:35
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,877
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27217237
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: three times remus leaves and the one time he comes back.
Relationships: Anxiety | Virgil Sanders/Dark Creativity | Remus "The Duke" Sanders
Series: amaranthine [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1987009
Comments: 7
Kudos: 91





	1. begonias & promises

**Author's Note:**

> yay!
> 
> The second part will be here in the next week.

Virgil knew that the fae was going to try to ditch him as soon as he could. Why wouldn’t he do it. Virgil was a mere human, a underfed and small one at that. The fae didn’t need him tagging along as they escaped the Seelie Court. Duke would probably eat him or enslave him, like Cyan did. Steal his name and never let him go.

Virgil shivered for a bit, pulling the patched cloak over his shoulders. He was wearing clothes that were too big for him, a shirt with trousers that he had stolen before they had left, not wanting the dress to remind him of that manor.

“Are you going to keep up or are you going to just muddle around?”

Virgil glowered at the fae and stalked past him. If he had known that Duke was going to be this annoying, he would have left him in the cell. But he had needed someone to get him out of Faerie and get him back into the human world. And if it just happened to be a deadly fae warrior who was now in his debt, so be it.

A life debt Virgil knew that Duke was actively trying to get rid of.

He couldn’t kill Virgil outright, couldn’t stab him or drown him, but Virgil knew that there were ways to get around that rule. It’s why he had a knife hidden in the cloak.

Virgil could feel Duke breathing down his neck. He ignored him. If Duke wanted to play a game, fine.

Virgil would just have to be on defense.

⭑

The first time Duke tried to ditch her was during the day.

Virgil woke up to the embers of a dying fire. They had decided it was better to travel at night, where they had less chance of being spotted. Everything was normal, except for the fact that the place where Duke was supposed to be was completely bare. And the supplies were missing.

Fuck. He ran.

Pulse racing in her ears, Virgil quickly grabbed her cloak and raced out of the small clearing. Looking around frantically, she noticed a trodden down path through the wildflowers. Swearing violently under her breath, she broke into a run, promising to herself that when she caught up to him, she’d murder him. Duke was injured, with a slight limp in his leg. He couldn’t have gotten far.

Rounding another boulder, she caught sight of green-cloaked figure stomping their way through the purple and red flowers. “Hey!”

The figure froze and turned around. It was Duke.

Duke and Virgil stared at each other for a minute, Virgil in anger and Duke with shock.

Virgil raised an eyebrow. “What’s your excuse?”

Duke shrugged. “I told you we were leaving. How was I to know you didn’t hear me?”

“I was asleep!”

“That is not my problem.”

Virgil hissed at him. Duke shrugged. “You know for a fact that I want out of this debt.”

Well, no shit. Stupid, handsome fae. Virgil just sighed. “Let’s just keep moving.”

⭑

The second time Duke tried to ditch them, Virgil was prepared.

Grinning into their cloak, they listened to the sounds of angry mumbling coming from the front of the cave. They  _ knew  _ Duke was going to try the same loophole again, and they had been prepared for it. Still grinning, they stood up, draping the cloak over their shoulders and walking toward the cave entrance. The mumbling went quiet as Virgil’s footsteps became known.

Leaning against the cave wall, Virgil smirked. “How’s it hanging?”

The sunlight dappled the beautiful clearing, the cave hidden in the corner. Wildflowers bloomed and the trees were tall and majestic. And in the center of this clearing, was a trapped brown-haired fae warrior. Duke cursed him out, hanging from the snare that Virgil had set last night while Duke had been asleep. He was upside-down, resembling a large, angry bat.

“You need some help?” Virgil teased. 

Duke glared at them, slowly spinning in a circle. “I would kill you if I could.”

Virgil reached out and lazily spun Duke, who started trying to kick them. “But you looove me.”

Duke called them a few words in a language Virgil didn’t know. “Get me down.”

Virgil considered this. “Are you going to try to ditch me again?”

Duke grumbled. “No.” 

“Promise?”

Duke sighed. “I promise.”

Virgil sliced through the rope, causing Duke to fall straight onto the ground. They stood back, watching as Duke straightened up, still glaring at them. Virgil could only smile at him. 

They offered their hand to Duke. “Look, I know you don’t like me. I don’t trust you. But I promise if you get me to the human world, the debt will be paid. And you can go.”

“But how can I trust you?” Duke blurted out. He stretched out, combing through his unruly golden-brown hair. “You’re just a human. No human would ever give up this kind of power.”

Virgil sighed. “How am I supposed to trust you? You’re at least two feet taller than I am and you’re fae. I just want to go home. That’s all I want to do.”

Duke squinted his forest-green eyes. “Is the reason you don’t trust me because you’re short?”

Virgil rolled their eyes. “Yes, it’s because of that. Or, you know, the fact that you tried to leave me behind twice.”

Duke shrugged it off. “But do you promise? That the debt will be paid if I get you home?”

“I promise.”

Duke nodded. “Then I swear I will return you to the human world safely.”

Duke offered Virgil his hand and Virgil tugged him back to the cave. “I’m cold and you’re warm. Come here.”

Duke laughed, a sound that made Virgil think that maybe some fae weren’t all bad.

⭑

Virgil hadn’t been expecting it the third time. 

It was daytime, the sun had just started to rise. It marked three weeks since the pair had escaped Cyan’s manor. During that time, the two had grown closer, trading stories instead of insults, telling the other what they missed most about the world they had left. They took turns taking watch, protecting the other. Virgil learned that Duke had a twin brother who lived in the Unseelie Court {I call him Princey. He can be somewhat dramatic} and had an affinity for art. Duke learned that Virgil was an orphan {Mum died from the plague and my pops was always closer to the bottle than he was to me} and could correctly name most plants and flowers {That’s a Gloxinia and the one over there is a Jonquil}.

They never spoke of the manor or Cyan. 

They were walking alongside a cliff edged with flowers. Duke was whistling, a tune that sounded familiar, but Virgil couldn’t place. They were going to find a place to rest for the day, then continue through the night. Duke said they were almost out of Seelie Land, just a few more days.

Virgil pointed out a flower, sleepily leaning against Duke. “That’s a Begonia. The light pink one.”

Duke chuckled, the tips of his mustache moving. “You really are tired, aren’t you?”

Virgil just leaned against Duke more, enjoying the warmth. Duke snorted and scooped Virgil up, enjoying the squeaks that followed. Virgil pouted sleepily as Duke carried her off the path and into the woods. “I can walk.”

Duke simply hummed. He set Virgil down at the roots of a massive tree in a dark, shadowy clearing. Sitting down next to him, Duke took off his cloak and gently laid it across Virgil. Virgil squinted at him. Duke smirked, but his eyes held an emotion Virgil couldn’t quite place.

“Sleep, Tempest. I have first watch.” Duke ran his fingers through Virgil’s curly, tangled hair. The sun, escaping through the leaves, shone on his face, illuminating his hair so it shone a sheen of rusty-gold.

Virgil dozed off to the thought that Duke was pretty when he was in the sun and then it faded to black.

⭑

Virgil woke up to ropes around his hands and around his feet. He was tied to a tree. Her pulse began to race. Where the fuck was Duke? Was he okay? What happened? Where were they going? He began to move frantically, desperately trying to loosen the bonds. He was missing his cloak, the black one with the gray patches and his shirt was torn, most likely from her current captors. His knife was also missing.

All of her struggling did not go unnoticed and a figure came into her line of view. Fingers grasped her head and forced him to look up. 

It was fae, an ugly one at that. It surveyed Virgil for a minute, a smile creeping up on those wormlike lips. It said something in another language to the other ones that were just outside of Virgil’s view and the sound of jeering laughter reached her ears.

“Where’s Duke?” Virgil rasped, her throat sore.

It cocked it’s head at her. “Your fae warrior? He left. And what a gift he gave us.”

Virgil shrank back. “No, he didn’t. He didn’t leave.”

The creature ran it’s skeletal fingers through his hair. “Why wouldn’t he?”

Virgil barely heard it over his breathing. Did Duke leave? He was there as she fell asleep. Was he just waiting for the next opportunity? Was the creature telling the truth? Was he gone?

Did Duke leave him?

It ran it’s fingers over Virgil’s stomach and her stomach recoiled in fear and disgust. The creature leered at him. “Cyan will pay a pretty price to have you back.”

Virgil froze in fear and the creature laughed and stalked off, joining the others. No, no. 

Anything but him.

Despair and fear coiled in her gut as the sun blazed across the sky and only the trees and the sky were witness to the human tears.

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  



	2. hyacinths & unrequited love

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> remus comes back

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TW
> 
> Violence

Remus was going to kill them all.

Tear them to pieces, rip the flesh from the bone, paint their bodies a scarlet red, they were going to die if it was the last thing Remus did. Snarling, he slipped through the undergrowth, ignoring the dull pain in his leg. Gods, what had Patton done to him? His magic was depleted, his leg was busted, and he couldn’t even fend off a pack of Spriggnans. They had gotten the better of him, luring Remus out into the forest and attacking him. He should have known better, but Remus didn’t have his magic and he had grown dependent on it. 

And they had taken V.

V with his quick-witted mind and a tongue that would have left lesser people in tears. Their knowledge of plants and flowers that had kept the two of them fed and alive while they escaped. The way V had verbally sparred with him, making Remus feel alive in a way that he hadn’t in the last century. V with her lilac eyes and emotions that were usually reserved for humans, promising to let him go once she was returned home.

Foolish human.

Or maybe he was the foolish one.

After all, he could leave. There was a loophole here and he could exploit it. He could return to the Unseelie Lands, see his brother again and reunite with his friends. Regain his strength and magic, then potentially burn Patton’s manor to the ground while he’s in it. He could go home, leave the human behind and leave V to their fate. It’s what any other self-respecting fae would do.

But here he was, slipping through the trees, desperately trying to catch a hint of V or the Spriggans. Remus just couldn’t V die, after everything that had happened. 

He made a promise to return her safely. And he would keep it.

Spotting a black puddle of fabric tossed aside, Remus quickly made his way over to it. Recognizing the black and gray cloak that was now torn to pieces, he looked around sharply, trying to gage where they had taken V. His hands tightened around the hilt of V’s knife, which had been discarded where Remus had thought they’d be safe.

Apparently not.

The sun was about to set, which could help Remus. Spriggans could travel fast, but they were sure to stop soon, after a day of traveling. Why wouldn’t they? Even a lone Spriggan was stronger than a human and a group of them would definitely be able to transport a human. 

Remus wished he had his magic back, wished he was at least half of the person he used to be before he had gotten captured. Before he was tortured, iron and rowan burning his skin. Before he had been forced to eat food laced with cold iron, his magic dying and becoming dormant in his veins. Before he had laid in that cold, dusty cell, waiting for someone to rescue him, before finally giving up hope.

He unsheathed the knife, looking at its blade. Six inches long, steel. It was a pretty poor design, if Remus was honest. But it would do its job, sinking into the throat of the nearest Spriggan.

Remus set off again, following the trail the Spriggans had left behind.

♚

The moon was in the sky when Remus finally reached the Spriggans’ camp. He could see them near the campfire and his lip curled. Hairless, ugly creatures that sold themselves out to the highest bidder. Maybe Remus wasn’t any better, being a mercenary, but he still didn’t like them. There was a guard posted, but he could be easily taken care of. In total, there were about eight of them, not counting the slumped-over bundle near the hyacinths. 

V.

Remus grinned sadistically. This was going to be fun.

♚

The guard went down first, blood spraying out of its neck. The spriggan slumped to the ground, eyes unseeing and dead. The rest of the spriggans whirled toward where Remus was in the shadows, grinning and hiding. 

“You took something from me,” Remus cooed, knife glinting in the moonlight, “That’s not very kind.”

The spriggans were uncomfortable, shifting from foot to foot and looking back over their shoulders. “She does not belong to you. We were sent to retrieve her.”

Oh Patton. Of course he was behind this. Remus hoped one day he would die in a fire. “The human does not belong to anyone. No matter what your master may think.”

His blood was boiling in his veins, filling him with adrenaline. Something cool and heavy was suddenly in his hand. Remus looked at it, power and glee running through his veins and behind that, a cool sense of relief. His magic wasn’t all gone after all.

A particularly brave spriggan spat at him. “What does the human whore matter to you? There are a million humans that are willing to spread their legs just as she was-”

Oh, he was going to regret saying that. “You know, I was willing to bargain with you. Spare your lives and we can part ways as begrudging trade partners. But now?” He walked out into the light of the moon, delighting in the wide eyes and fearful looks. Remus swung his morningstar, reveling in the way it made him feel. He bared his teeth at them. “ I’m going to enjoy painting the ground with your blood.”

The same spriggan snarled and sprang, claws out and jagged teeth glittering in the light. One swing and his head was bouncing off into the shadows. Remus grinned. He missed this.

He turned back toward the now six spriggans. The black blood dripped off his steel weapon and onto the grass, and he attacked.

The first two weren’t prepared as he bashed their heads in with the weapon and they slumped to the ground. Whoops.

“V!” Sliding the knife over to the human, Remus prayed he was conscious enough to free himself. Remus slammed his morningstar into the ribs of a spriggan, ensuring a bloody, painful death. Snarling, he turned to face the remaining three spriggans. They had their claws out and their jagged teeth were bared. They attacked and Remus was forced to go on defense.

Claws scraped against steel, teeth gnashing at metal. Remus parried every attempt to get past his guard. Swinging his morningstar, he decapitated one of them and sent the one next to it flying.

The sole spriggan in front of him panted. “Why do you seek to protect this human? It would be less trouble to leave it to die.”

Remus really didn’t know why. Reasons were for humans. Faeries operated on desires and emotions. He knew that it was strange for someone like him to protect a human, much less sacrifice themselves for one. Remus didn’t even particularly like humans. They always wanted something and were always quick to torment and belittle others. But something about V intrigued Remus. He didn’t know if it was the promise they had made to him about the debt, or that she had broken free from an enchantment that he hadn’t known could be broken and still came back for the prisoner in the dungeon or if it the way when Remus looked at V and felt that decades-old shell crack, emotions that Remus hadn’t known he could feel anymore surging to the surface.

Remus shrugged. “They’re cute.”

The spriggan hissed and sprang. Then died. It was a very quick series of events.

Hearing a snarl from behind him, Remus whirled to find the spriggan he had thrown on his feet and ready to attack. Remus hefted the morningstar, ready to fight. The sole spriggan remaining took a step-

Then fell to the ground, black blood spurting from the gash on its neck. It fell, clawing at the gash and spasming, revealing V, knife held aloft and limping. Remus and V stared at each other for a second, each covered in black blood. Personally, Remus thought the mercenary look would be pretty hot on V.

Finally, V raised their hands. “Does this ever come off or..?”

Remus huffed a laugh and sheathed the morningstar, quickly crossing over to V and hugging them. V stiffened for a moment, then relaxed into the hold, returning the embrace. It wasn’t until Remus’ shirt felt wet that he realized V was crying.

Remus pulled back, scanning for any sign of injury. “V? Are you injured?”

V shook her head, tears running down her face. “No. Just some rope burn.”

“Then why…?” Remus really didn’t know how humans worked.

“Because you left me you asshole!” V smacked him, wiping the tears away. It didn’t really hurt, mostly because V really wasn’t trying. But Remus kept a close eye on the knife. It was currently sheathed at his side, but Remus did not want it ending up in his eye. Tearing the eye open and letting the blood leak down from his face-

No. Not helpful.

“I woke up and you were gone and I thought I was going back to that manor house. I thought you had left me,” V continued, slapping him over and over again, “You fucking asshole! You promised!”

Remus let V hit him. “I know. I know.”

V stared past him, back at the hyacinths that bordered the clearing, tears rolling down her face. “I was so scared.”

Remus gently held their chin, getting those lilac eyes to meet his. “It was not my intention to leave you. I’m sorry.”

V let her head rest on Remus’ chest, closing her eyes. “Please don’t do that again.”

Emotions were bubbling to the surface. Remus couldn’t make sense of them. He wanted to curl his fingers in V’s ink-black, kinky hair, kiss away those tears that ran down his dark skin. He wanted to tilt V’s head to meet his, pressing his mouth against his, gentle but firm. He wanted to curl his arms around V, clutch him against his chest and never let go. 

But if he did any of that, V would never trust him again.

Remus sighed. He enfolded V in his arms, dropping a small kiss on top of his head. V melted, but just a bit. Besides, V was a human. All Remus was doing was simply dropping him off in the human realm. Remus’ feelings didn’t need to complicate things. Feelings were like tentacles. Each should have a fair share of control, but if one decides to mutiny and chop the others off, it should be cut off and burned.

“In all seriousness, how does the blood come off?” V’s voice mumbled from Remus’ chest.

Remus laughed and swung V up into his arms, carrying him away from the dead bodies of the spriggans. V squeaked and glared, but Remus shrugged. V was barefoot and splinters were a thing. “Well, you see Scare-bear, it’s a long and complicated process.”

V groaned, lilac eyes narrowed from where they were in Remus’ arms. “Is this going to be like the time you tried getting the blood out of my dress by setting it on fire?”

“It didn’t start out on fire.” 

“And it was ashes by the end.”

Remus huffed. “You’re a very sassy human, you know that right?”

“You’re a very dumb fae, you know that right?” 

Remus fake-gasped. “I rescued you! And the dress didn’t have any blood-stains on it after I was done.”

“Because there was no dress!” V was laughing in Remus’ arms, hands curled in his cloak. Remus made a mental note to get V another cloak. Her old one was ruined. And shoes. V was going to murder him if he carried her everywhere. Though he didn’t mind in the slightest.

They were silent for a few minutes, Remus walking through the forest. Shadows were everywhere and Remus kept a close eye on them, still running on adrenaline. V yawned. “Duke?”

Remus wondered what V saying his true name would sound like. “Yes, V?”

“Thank you for coming to get me,” V played with the edges of Remus’ cloak, “I wasn’t sure if you were coming back.”

Remus’ heart ached. “Of course I came back, spider. How could I survive without your witty insults?”

V snorted. “Mm-hm.”

Remus leapt over a fallen tree. “To make up for all of this, I’ll get you a new dress and I won’t light it on fire. Or put it in acid. Or maybe one of those romper things that’s like a dress, but with pants. Or maybe a hat. Did I ever tell you about my friend? He wears this absolutely terrible bowler hat. I think he wears it to distract from the fact he had scales. Terrific person. Terrible taste.”

As V laughed in his arms, Remus held them close. The moonlight illuminated their faces and Remus prayed to the gods that the feelings for the human went away. Remus kissed V’s forehead and V sighed. It was better this way, Remus reasoned, V could go back to the human world and live a normal life. V was human. V needed to go home. Remus’ feelings didn’t matter.

Besides, V wouldn’t feel the same way.

And while Remus recounted stories for the human, relishing the time that he had left with his love, the moon smiled knowingly, casting her light for the pair to follow. 

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you've read do no good, you've probably seen the note that I'm moving and won't update until I can. I wanted to publish this chapter when I could. Thank you all for reading this. Love all of you.

**Author's Note:**

> Virgil's use of pronouns is based on my own use of pronouns for myself. all are good and great in random order, but sometimes I use one for a bit and I based Virgil off of that.


End file.
